Sotech was formed in 1982 and has manufactured Rainscreen at its manufacturing facility in Peterlee since 1993. Following sig ... nificant design developments and product innovations the Optima brand was registered in 1997. New products were added to the Optima range over the next decade including a range of linear pressed or extruded interlocking plank cladding, multi-material Rainscreen cladding systems, a full range of specialist metal fabrications together with the flagship Optima FC secret-fix Rainscreen cladding system. In addition a burgeoning suite of extruded products have been introduced including the innovative bespoke aluminium baguette sunscreen system that replicates the appearance of traditional terracotta, cuts costs and speeds up installation time. In 2008, following a large scale expansion programme including buildings and machinery, the Rainscreen production capacity was quadrupled to a potential 6,500 sqm per week. The expansion has seen production space increase from 27,000 sqft to 65,000 sqft and includes a dedicated facility for Rainscreen manufacturing. A bespoke enquiry to invoice system and a fully computerised Quality, Health & Safety and Environmental (QHSE) system has been implemented to provide dedicated customer and technical support. read more